The government, the largest owner of landed property in the country, is preparing a comprehensive land sale policy to raise revenues and check corruption in government-owned property deals. The finance ministry will shortly move a cabinet note for bringing in a new uniform policy on 'land alienation' by government agencies, with an eye on removing discretionary powers of individual ministers and bureaucrats, said a government official. In big cities, large tracts...
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NAC draws up plan for shelters for over 3 lakh urban homeless by Nitin Sethi
The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has recommended a Rs 4,250 crore programme to provide shelters and other amenities to homeless in Class 1 cities in the country. The council has suggested the National Programme for Shelters and Other Services for Urban Homeless to set up 6,800 permanent shelters for around 3 lakh homeless - 15% of the estimated population of people living in the open across urban India. The council, moving...
More »Empire strikes back by Samar Halarnkar
As you read this, the Unique Identity (UID) programme is likely to have enrolled 200 million Indians. The UID, if it is allowed to, will eventually become the world's largest database of human biometric markers - fingerprints, photo and iris scans. It could go on to 400 million by the end of the year and 600 million by next year. What good is this? If you talk to opponents concerned with civil...
More »States can grow 1% for every 10% new Internet connections
-PTI Economies of Indian states can grow 1.08% faster with every 10% increase in Internet and broadband connections, says a study released today by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). Consequently, for every 10% increase in Internet and broadband penetration, India could potentially add $17 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the report said. "Our first major finding is the existence of a positive and significant coefficient on Internet....
More »RTE fails to lift learning outcomes by Prashant K Nanda
Third report in three months to highlight lack of quality education in India; poses risk to knowledge hub hopes Nearly two years after the Right to Education (RTE) Act was introduced with the promise of providing free and compulsory education to all primary School children, the learning outcome in the country has actually deteriorated in terms of quality. In yet another wake-up call for policymakers, the 2011 Annual Status of Education Report...
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